Kashi Chat Bhandar at Godowlia, Varanasi serves the best 'chat' in Varanasi

Totally unpretentious far from overtly clean, yet jam packed constantly - that's Kashi Chat Bhandar for you.

Kashi Chat Bhandar at Godowlia, which is about 3.5 kms from the Varanasi railway station and on way to the must visit Dasaswamedh Ghat treats visitors to the original and authentic Banarasi Chat. Once you enter, you become mad with the aroma of Indian chat spices and herbs. The smell of pure desi ghee is intoxicating. Even the most health conscious and waistline watcher will also default.

Dig into the spicy chaat, spicy tikkis, chura matar, tangy golgappas and tamatar chaat. They give their customers pudina tamarind spicy water to fill the golgappas. The sweet version of golgappa with dahi and tamarind chutney is another unique offering by Kashi Chat Bhandar.

Eat each and every thing available. Don't miss these while in Varanasi.

Kashi Chat Bhandar, D37/49 Godowlia, near Church, Varanasi. Mobile +91 9415618081.

Mawlynnong Village, Meghalaya - Asia's cleanest village

Mawlynnong is located 95 km from Shillong, along the India-Bangladesh border.
Mawlynnong is known for its cleanliness. The waste is collected in the dustbins made of bamboo, directed to a pit and then used as manure. Travel magazine Discover India declared the village as the cleanest in Asia in 2003, and the cleanest in India in 2005. The phrase has since caught on.
Pathways are lined with bamboo baskets used as garbage bins. There's not a bit of plastic or other litter to be seen anywhere. Flowers on bushes and vines line the pathways.
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As of 2014, there are about 95 households in Mawlynnong. The literacy rate is 100%. Agriculture is the chief occupation of the local population, with betel nut being the main crop.

Armed forces have a special hill driving license for their truck drivers

Is it a fact that the Armed forces have a special hill driving license for their truck drivers .. !!!
Here's an army truck negotiating the extremely difficult Rohtang Pass.

Location: Rohtang Pass, HP in 2014.

Photo courtesy: A Uberoi (Facebook@auberoi)

View from Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai in 2008

View from Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai in 2008.
Pic credit: Swaroop Biswas

Amitabh Bachchan turns Indian Roadie in Kolkata on a bicycle

Amitabh Bachchan turns Indian Roadie in Kolkata on a bicycle during the film shoot of Soojit Sirkar drected 'Piku' in early November 2014.
The film will also star Deepika Padukone and Irfan Khan.

Sourced from Amitabh Bachchan's post on his own Facebook page on 2nd November 2014.

Matt Haley dies in motorcycle crash in Ladakh in August 2014

Matt Haley at Khardungla before the fatal accident on 17th August 2014.
Pic credit: Gaurav Jani


Prominent Delmarva restaurateur and chef Matt Haley, founder and CEO of Matt Haley Companies which operates restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach and Ocean View, died from injuries sustained on Monday 17th August 2014 in a motorcycle crash in Leh, India. He was 53.

Haley recently had been battling a recurring bout of cancer. Haley was cancer-free before he left for India.

Haley won the 2014 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award in May 2014. Haley was on a six-week humanitarian mission through Northwestern India and Nepal, according to Scott Kammerer, president and COO of the Matt Haley Companies, via a statement.

Kammerer said that on Wednesday 19th August, he was told by U.S. State Department officials that Haley died on Tuesday 18th August 2014 night during a medical flight from Leh to New Delhi, India.

Haley was involved in a “high impact” collision with a truck in Leh on Monday, at the beginning of his humanitarian trip. Haley has devoted significant time and resources to humanitarian efforts in the area. Haley was traveling with an experienced group of between eight to nine motorcycle riders including international filmmaker and motorcycle expert Guarav Jani.

During the trip, Haley posted on his social media accounts about the motorcycle trip he was taking. Haley has been sending updates on his trip through his Facebook page and Instagram and Twitter accounts since 11th August 2014.

On 11th August 2014 Haley wrote on Facebook, "I was on the beach yesterday in Rehoboth Beach De. Today I'll be on a motorcycle headed to Lahdak, India for a three week high altitude motorcycle ride at heights up to 18,500 feet on the highest and some say most dangerous roads in the world on the Pakistan boarder with some bad ass Indian buddies of mine then off to Kathmandu, Nepal for a week to see my daughters, a quick stop home to change clothes and do some laundry (and see my girlfriend, first option) then off to Mexico City to eat some street food for a week. Stay tuned, it's just getting started. ‪#‎haleyslife‬ on Instagram."

On 16th August 2014 around 7.00am (IST) Haley changed his Facebook profile pic to the following and wrote "Ha. This was a simple road at 14,000 feet. I'll be at 18,500 in a few days on the highest road in the world. I must say I now know why they call it getting high." He was hinting on reaching Khardungla.




Matt Haley works on his monk fish stew in Feb 2014

Aizwal on 2014-11-08 morning

Heavenly Aizawl on 8th November 2014 morning.
This no-honking remote hill town tells you, cars can still move on the busy streets without needlessly honking around.

Photo/ description courtesy: Rahul Shanker

3 weeks, 2800 kms, 1 Royal Enfield (Ladakh trip) by Rashmi and Vishal Vishwambharan

Rashmi and Vishal Vishwambharan were on a 3 weeks Royal Enfield motorcycle trip in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir from end August to mid September 2012. 
Their route was Manali - Mcleodganj - Jammu - Srinagar - Kargil - Leh (Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley) - Tso Moriri - Manali